Field Notes Ohio

Ohio's parks, forests and wildlife areas with camping, the ancient mounds beside them, and the Buckeye Trail that links them. Stories, trails, wildlife, and where to eat and fuel up nearby. Book campsites on ReserveOhio.
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The Buckeye TrailA 1,444-mile blue-blazed loop around Ohio, with all 26 sections.
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Mounds & Earthworks43 ancient sites, including the Great Serpent Mound and the Newark Earthworks.
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Lake Erie Beaches20 public beaches from Conneaut to Toledo and the islands, with a map.
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Oddities & Roadside Attractions19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops, plus a Mothman just over the line.
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Caves & Caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters, with a map.
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Waterfalls34 falls from the Cuyahoga Valley to the Hocking Hills, with trail notes and a map.
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117 parks in 7 regions

Lanterman's Falls

Youngstown · Mahoning County
Ledge falls over sandstone next to a working 19th century grist mill
20 ftheight
Easywalk

Visiting information you can trust

Check before driving — this site is seasonal, approximate, privately run, or otherwise uncertain. Confirm hours and access with the official source above.
Content last reviewed
September 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Primary official source
Official page
Location confidence
Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
Approximate location, use the address or trailhead
Seasonal access
Park open daily; mill open May through October, Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures

Prices, hours, closures, campsite availability and trail conditions shown elsewhere on this page are not live — always confirm with the official source before you go.

A 20 foot waterfall beside the historic, still operating Lanterman's Mill in Mill Creek Park, one of Youngstown's best known landmarks.

Height
About 20 feet
Trail
Viewable from Canfield Road bridge or mill level
Managed by
Mill Creek MetroParks
Best time
After rain and in spring; reliable most of the year
Fee
Free to view; mill tour is a small fee
Mill hours
May through October, Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

When it flows

Regulated somewhat by the millpond above the falls, so it generally has reliable flow, but it is most dramatic after rain and in spring; it forms striking ice formations in winter.

The story

Mill Creek cuts through sandstone in this stretch of the gorge, and the falls formed where the creek drops over a resistant ledge, the same water power source that made this spot attractive to millers for more than two centuries. The surrounding gorge, with its exposed sandstone walls, has long been considered one of the scenic centerpieces of Mill Creek Park.

Mills operated at this site from 1799, with earlier structures replaced over time until German Lanterman and Samuel Kimberly built the current mill in 1845 and 1846 to grind corn, wheat, and buckwheat using the falls' power. The mill closed in 1888 and was used for various park purposes afterward, falling into disrepair before a full restoration between 1982 and 1985, funded by the Beecher Foundations, returned it to working order; it still grinds grain today using the original water power. The mill and falls sit within Mill Creek Park, one of the oldest and largest municipal park systems in Ohio, established through the advocacy of Youngstown lawyer Volney Rogers in the 1890s.

Coordinates are approximate, geocoded from the mill's street address rather than a surveyed point for the falls itself. Mill Creek MetroParks is not one of the park ids in the allowed list.

Stay behind railings and on marked trails. Wet rock at the top and base of a falls is slick in every season, and most Ohio falls do not allow swimming, wading or climbing. Flow depends on rain: many falls are a trickle in late summer and at their best after a wet spell, in spring, or frozen in a hard winter.

Getting to the falls

Viewable from the Canfield Road bridge or from a short walk down to the mill and creek level; the paved, boardwalk-backed East Gorge Walk also follows Mill Creek along a sandstone wall nearby.

Status
Open
Hours
Park open daily; mill open May through October, Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost
Free to view the falls; mill admission up to $4 for non-resident adults
Phone
330-740-7115
Managed by
Mill Creek MetroParks
Please note
Use caution on the Canfield Road bridge due to traffic, stay behind railings near the gorge, no swimming
Address
1001 Canfield Road (SR 62), Youngstown, OH 44511 (Lanterman's Mill, Mill Creek Park)
Official page →DirectionsShow on the map

The pin on the map is approximate; use the address or the park's own directions to find the trailhead.

Trails close for repairs, ice and high water. Check the official page before a long drive.

Parks nearby

Lake Milton State Park
About 15 miles · Mahoning County state park
Open
Berlin Lake
About 17 miles · Nearest park in the app
Open
Guilford Lake State Park
About 21 miles · Nearest park in the app
Open

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.